In one of the recent lore sessions, the devs mentioned that they considered making Maiev Shadowsong the Night Warrior, rather than Tyrande Whisperwind. I can’t decide whether I think that would have been a better story, or whether I prefer it this way.
On the one hand, going all dark vengeance fits Maiev perfectly–revenge is her thing. And I know a lot of people were hoping she’d play a major role in the Darkshore counteroffensive.
On the other hand, Tyrande has been a criminally underused character in WoW for as old and powerful as she is. And as the ruler of her people, it seems fitting that she’d take the lead in avenging wrongs done to them.
I’m more interested in the fact that the “Night Warrior” concept apparently came first, and then Tyrande was slotted into it. (As opposed to them deciding that Tyrande needed to do something interesting and the Night Warrior arising as an answer to that need.)
I think the Night Warrior was unnecessary (though aesthetically cool) and underutilized (she should have been able to prevent the Night Elves from being raised at all with the power to send them up to the sky as stars).
However, if this is the direction they wanted the Night Elves to go in, I think it was fitting to that it was Tyrande. Tyrande is Elune’s chosen High Priestess. Tyrande was chosen over Maiev - one of the things Maiev resented Tyrande for before. So if anyone was going to call Elune out and make demands of her, I think it was important that it was Tyrande that succeeded at it. And if the rest of the Night Elves could also draw from that power as represented by the darkened eyes, I also think it was important that they were drawing from one of their leaders, not Maiev who was only just rejoining them now because of the burning of Teldrassil.
Maiev would likely still be a fugitive if Teldrassil hadn’t been burned, unless Jarod put in a really good word for her when he was suppose to turn her in.
I think Tyrande was the right choice. As you said, she’s underused and it gives her a fire under her to make her more interesting. Plus, cool model update.
While Maiev would’ve been cool, I almost feel like she’d be taking away from Tyrande if she was the one to become the Night Warrior.
While Tyrande makes for a pretty poor quality and hard to swallow night warrior, and Maiev is more naturally suited for the role, having the high priestess disconnect from the protective properties of Elune and embrace vengence was probably essential for raising night elves into the ranks of the forsaken. If she was the priestess of Elune and not the night warrior she could have (theoretically) just bubbled the souls of Sira and Delaryn and there wouldn’t have been anything Nathanos and a host of Valkyries could have done.
Additionally Maiev’s tendancy to go rogue might have made for a fairly unstable nightwarrior.
The Night Warrior literally has more power to protect the souls.
This is also stated in game in an Archeology item:
Necklace with Elune Pendant
Elune is the primary goddess of the night elves. She is associated with the larger of the two moons, the White Lady. While she is a goddess of peace, she is not a pacifist. One of her aspects is the Night Warrior, who takes the valiant among the dead and sets them riding across the sky as stars.
I can’t really buy into the fact that you can have your cake and eat it all the time. Invoking an aspect of vengence of an otherwise protective deity aught to come at a price, but apparently it doesn’t.
I think the real question is why was Tyrande was sitting is stormwind with nothing to do story wise that they needed to include her into the night warrior arc.
And that’s not even bringing up why an already powerful character needed another power boost.
One has to remember that the Alliance don’t pay for their boosts in power. Any time an Alliance Character gets stronger through an outside power, they don’t have a new flaw or weakness added, they just get stronger, and better.
The Worgen, Varian, The Night Warrior, Anduin, Calia, Alleria, it goes on and on.
They’ve tango’d with powers beyond themselves on several magnitudes, and walk away better than before. They gain “curses” that have no drawbacks. They make pacts that have no payment required. They are given fantastic boons, just because they’re that awesome.
Now compare them to their Horde counterparts.
Nothing but a series of fools who hunger for power, and then turn evil once they get it so everyone can stomp on them. They make bad decisions and lose their powers outright. They gain curses, and the curses typically kill or transform them into monsters. They are deceived by their higher powers, or watch their higher powers get murdered.
Let’s ask the real questions. When the hell are we gonna get other commanders in the Darkshore Warfront? there is what, 3 per faction on rotation in Arathi? Lmao
Tyrande is the spiritual mother of her people. Her taking on the role makes sense.
Maiev has been nursing her own spite for 13,000 plus years, she’s has no one and nothing she cares about to balance against the Night Warrior’s rage. If she’d taken on the mantle… she’d probably split open like an egg.
Maiev is pretty much the Batman or Punisher of the Night Elves so I’m fine with her being normal. I think the Night Warrior sets up too many expectations that will inevitably piss off the fans. Would rather Maiev stay away from that.
Classes aren’t like races, Blizzard can’t, and shouldn’t, just throw in classes like they can Allied Races. Classes are far more complicated and require a fine handling to make work properly.